Dr. John C Wickwire Academy’s epic Earth Week!

Dr. John C Wickwire Academy decided to celebrate Earth Week as a whole school, learned a lot and had a blast doing it!

They kicked off Earth Week with the Green Team members, known as the WasteLess Warriors, talking to the 19 classrooms individually. The WasteLess Warriors introduced students to the carbon footprint and talked about how students can make their current footprint smaller. They showed the Green Ninja and Carbon Monster videos and challenged each student to make a carbon footprint pledge. These pledges were collected and posted in the school foyer for all parents, students and community members to see for the whole week.

For the remainder of Earth Week they celebrated each day with announcements and a theme for each day following the Green Schools NS Earth Week Activity Guide. But once the unneeded lights were turned off they could not help themselves and kept most lights off for the whole week! A couple classes made crafts and art from waste and some students were so inspired some made their own upcycled crafts at home and brought them to school to show off.

Two classrooms quickly organized a book exchange where students were encouraged to bring in 2-4 books from home that they were finished reading and then each student left with a few “new to them” books. It was an easy and fun event, and it helped to teach the students why it is so important to reuse and not buy new.

On Tuesday, Tamara Sealy from Nutrients for Life spent the day with all the Grade 1 and 3 classes talking about the importance of plants and soil science. Each student planted their very own tomato plant. They all had a deeper understanding on how important soil is to feed all the people of the Earth. The Green Team was happy that Tamara tested their soil from their garden because they found out it was depleted in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Now they know how to get it ready for spring planting!

On Thursday, the three Grade 1 classes walked the school’s Eagles Passage Nature Trail and had a “Four Food Group Picnic” outside. They also did a sensory activity as they walked and took note of what they saw, heard, smelled and felt. The students and staff enjoyed taking their learning outdoors. Also on Thursday Adam Leuschner, with help from the WasteLess Warriors, had each Physical Education class clean up the whole schoolyard. Their agility was put to the test climbing down the banks and into the alders to pick up litter.

On Friday, Green Schools Engagement Officer Natalie McMaster took two classrooms on an Earth Walk where the students fine-tuned their sense of sight on a camouflage trail, looking for faces in the trees and rocks, and discovering their secret connection to trees. Grade Primary teacher Mrs Duffney even fulfilled her Earth Day Pledge of biking to school, inspiring at least one other student to do the same.

Celebrating as a school for all of Earth Week really brought a unified voice to the importance of protecting the earth and also working together as they do. Individual classroom teachers also were seen doing Earth Day math, literacy and art projects. The walls of the school were covered with Earth Day art and pledges.

Way to go Dr. JC Wickwire!